Ship Happens!

Dive into a world of sky pirates, menacing cephalopods and bustier-clad lasses in Queen Victoria’s Floating Garden of Secrets and Natural Wonders, the world’s first full-length steampunk opera. Set in a dystopian future, the show tackles issues such as climate change while mashing up influences from Jules Verne to Gilbert and Sullivan with wild abandon.

“The ship that the show takes place on is both an exploratory ship and a floating reformatory for teaching etiquette and manners to wayward young women,” says Mary Lin, the opera’s creator. “In all of the zany frivolity, there are messages about colonialism, misappropriation of nature and oppression of women. There are tons of layers. There’s so much going on, you’ll feel like you have to see it again to catch all the detail.”

Oh, and don’t let that “opera” word scare you -- the show is as accessible as the form gets, full of weird science, outlandish costumes and irresistible tunes. “It’s really a musical,” Lin explains. “We’re using operatic voices, but it’s really accessible and fun.”

That fun starts tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Pine Street Church, 1237 Pine Street in Boulder, with additional dates in Boulder and Denver in May. Tickets are $20; for more information, visit luminousthread.com.
Sat., April 27, 7:30 p.m., 2013